


The One Thing You Leave Behind

by Aseikh



Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Bring Back Magic, Bringing back magic in the RA universe like it NEVER left, Diary/Journal, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Flanny You Coward, Forests, Missing Persons, Monsters, Mystery, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Throwback
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-08 01:11:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20826899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aseikh/pseuds/Aseikh
Summary: Thinking it wasn't a serious problem, Crowley sends Will off to investigate a forest that the local Ranger reported to be dangerous. Halt, sensing something about that forest was wrong, gives Will a blank journal to write down his experiences. Throughout the beginning of his journey, Will does just that ... up until he goes missing.





	1. Chapter 1

From the head of the bed, Alyss watched as her husband shoved the last few items he would need for this mission in his satchel. She always spent this extra time with him before he left, if only to get a few more hours before she would go days, weeks, _months,_ without his touch.

A blank notebook that Halt had handed him, murmuring something about keeping his way despite Will's incredulous looks, was slid in the side. No matter how weird the advice, Will would follow Halt's instructions. An extra pair of gloves, new ones, were shoved beside the notebook. Charcoal to write with was dropped in a pocket. A bag of gold, for lodging and food was wrapped tight and packed into the bottom. The majority of his clothes were in Tug's saddle bags, which were already packed up and on the waiting horse.

Will threw a few other items in the bag that Alyss didn't notice, her attention shifting from Will's actions to Will himself. He had washed himself before he was due to leave, expecting the fact that he wouldn't get a chance to get clean while in the middle of a giant forest. His pants hung low on his waist, and he was yet to put his shirt on. His wet hair curled around his ears and above his eyes and dripped onto his bare, toned chest.

Goodness, she would miss him.

"How long do you think you'll be gone this time?" Alyss asked, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them. She hoped he wouldn't be gone for too long. It always got lonely when he was gone, even if she spent the nights at the castle rather than alone at the cabin. The bed would still be cold on his side and she would still be alone in the apartment.

He shrugged, scrunching up his face as he thought about it. "Probably at least two weeks. Few days there, few days back, and I have to figure out what's going there in the first place."

Alyss raised her eyebrows. "You don't know whats happening?" She hadn't seen the briefing, and Will had only previously mentioned that he had to investigate a large forest up north. She had assumed it meant he was dealing with bandits or a murder. Apparently, he didn't know either.

"No," Will replied, straightening. He closed the bag and turned to rifle through the open dresser. "The local Ranger was contacted when multiple people went missing, all traveling through the same stretch of forest, all at night." He dug a thick, long-sleeved shirt out of his drawer, and shoved his head through the collar. He continued to speak through the cloth as he attempted to shove his arms through the sleeves. "They're assuming it's an animal of some kind, maybe a wolf pack or something. It's a possibility that it's a bandit group, picking off travelers for their money and valuables, but they haven't found any bodies as of yet." His head popped out of the neck, smiling at her as he blew a kiss in her direction. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before."

Alyss laughed. Will stuck his tongue out at her, and when she laughed harder, Will jumped at her, snaking his arms around her waist and falling over her. Alyss wrapped her arms over his neck as he rolled over, her ending up on his chest. She looked down at him, at his disheveled hair and bright eyes and knew that it would be hard to let him go again. It always was. It always will be.

"You'll be back soon," she said, more to herself than to him. But he nodded.

"I will," he murmured back. Cupping her face with his hand, he drew her to him and kissed her softly on the lips. He tasted like coffee—as always. "I promise."

* * *

> _Day One, Entrance to Sunworth Woodlands._
> 
> _I just made it to the southern-most part of the Sunworth Woodlands. I made good time getting here, taking just about two days if you don't count the fact that I got here during the morning of the third day. I have to say, compared to Grimsdell Woods, these don't seem that scary. Grimsdell, you could tell from the very beginning that they were dark and hard to traverse._
> 
> _Sunworth just looks like any other forest._
> 
> _I still find it a little weird using this journal, writing down what I'm doing and what I plan to do, and all that. Normally, I would have just tossed the book in the bag and gone on like usual, but something about Halt's look made me think otherwise. We both read the same report, so I knew what I was getting into, but Halt made me promise to use this. And, even though I don't get it, I trust Halt. Even if it turns out to be nothing (which, honestly, I think it will probably be), I'll still do this, for him._
> 
> _Honestly, this kind of seems like a mini vacation. My prediction is that I'll be here for a week, find absolutely nothing, and will head back to Redmont afterwards. The only thing that stops me from calling it a vacation is that Alyss is stuck back at Redmont._
> 
> _Before I go too deep, I'm thinking of stopping by Sasha's cabin, see what they think. They obviously know the area better then me, but I also don't want to deal with that usual attitude other Rangers get when the Task Force is called to work on something in their fief. They get protective and a little angry, and it makes our work so much harder. Even if Sasha had insight into this problem, would it be worth it? It _was _their report I had to read before coming here._
> 
> _This investigation is probably useless. Sunworth covers the majority of the western coast of Northern Araluen, as well as a large part of the western coast of Picta. It's a large expanse of land that not many people live near or in. If, say, a hunter got lost in one of the more isolated, denser sections of the woods, they could end up at the ocean or in Picta. It's not hard to believe that they stumbled across the border and was picked off by one Scotti tribe or another. And that's if they didn't die from starvation or wild animals._
> 
> _Writing that all down, it really proves how hopeless this mission is, which is probably why Crowley only said one person had to go. He didn't need to take two Rangers and a knight out of commission for a month to wander around a forest trying to find some lost villagers. As cruel as it sounds, that's not our job._
> 
> _I'm just here to investigate the possibility of Scotti involvement._
> 
> _This is going to get boring _fast.

* * *

> _Day One, (Different) Entrance to Sunworth Woodlands_
> 
> _I started to head for Sasha's cabin, but I decided against it not to far away from it. Sasha included a note in their report about the forest, saying I was welcome to stay with them a few days before heading into the forest to prepare. As tempting as it is, I don't want to deal with any unnecessary tension they'll have with me taking an assignment from them. Plus, spoiling myself with a bed, after sleeping in the open for a few days already, would just make Sunworth so much more frustrating._
> 
> _Sasha would understand, and will honestly probably be happy I didn't show up._
> 
> _That leaves me to enter this forest though, and … well, I find that I don't really want to. Even though it doesn't seem that bad, something is making me feel like I shouldn't go in. Looking at this forest, it just seems … off. With Grimsdell, it was up front about how creepy and confusing it was, but this one, it seems like a more secretive older sibling. Like, it's just as wild and dark, but it's better at hiding it._
> 
> _Obviously, I'm still going in. But, since getting here, I'm kind of glad that Halt gave me this journal. I'm marking my location on the local map Sasha sent with the report whenever I make notes in here, so hopefully I'll be able to keep track of my whereabouts and be able to retrace my steps if necessary._
> 
> _Because if this place is anything like Grimsdell, I'm in trouble._

* * *

Having finally moved in to her spare castle apartment, Alyss slipped into a fresh dress, and went to greet Pauline before heading off to dinner with Jenny. The only thing that the young courier liked with her husband being gone was the time she was able to spend with her friends. She rarely saw George anymore, and Jenny was so busy, so their schedules often conflicted. With Will absent, Alyss's schedule was fluid enough for her to meet them for lunch.

She knocked at her mentor's door, and waited a moment, watching out the window that was at the end of the hall besides the door. A stable boy was leading a brown spotted horse into the stable, while the owner nervously watched. Alyss smiled, recalling Will's insistence on always caring for Tug himself.

The door opened, and Alyss turned back to see Halt standing in the doorway, dressed but without his cloak.

"Halt," Alyss said, smiling, "Is Pauline in?"

Halt flashed her one of his rare smiles before shaking his head. "She was called off to Castle Araluen just this morning. She wanted me to apologize to you for leaving."

Alyss shrugged, "She said it was possible, so I don't blame her."

Nodding, Halt stood to the side of the door. "Did you want to come in, or did you have some place to go?" He tilted his head to the side, motioning inside his apartment where Alyss could see a steaming mug of coffee, a small pile of paper, and . . . A journal.

"Well," Alyss murmured, hesitating. "I have to meet Jenny and George for dinner, but could I ask you something about Will's solo mission?" She crossed her arms below her chest, and looked down the hall. They were alone.

Halt did the same thing, before nodding. "Of course," he said simply, looking at her.

"Why did you give Will a blank journal before he left?"

The older Ranger paused, scrutinizing her. He was silent for a moment, before he asked: "Did you read any of the brief? Or did Will just tell you about it before he left?" He leaned against the door and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Alyss leaned on one foot, and shook her head. "Okay," Halt nodded again, before motioning inside the apartment. "Let me show you something."

Halt moved inside the apartment, and Alyss followed him, shutting the door quietly behind her. When she turned around, he was standing at the table she could see from the hall, and was pulling out a few papers from the pile he had spread before his seat. He selected a few, glanced at them, and handed them to Alyss.

Three full pages of writing, and Alyss didn't have much time between now and when she was supposed to meet Jenny and George. She looked up to Halt, the words already on her lips. But the Ranger spoke before she could. "You can take them to read later, but," he pointed to the second page, "one of the people who got lost made it out and the local Ranger, Sasha, found her. She goes on to describe getting lost, even though she claimed to know her way. She went on about how she took the same route day after day, but the time she got lost, it was like her entire memory was erased from her head. She tried to guess where she had to go, but ended up guessing wrong. That was why she had gone missing. When she finally remembered, she was days away from her home, and had to find her way back from land that she wasn't familiar with at all."

Alyss flipped to the page he motioned to, registering the unfamiliar handwriting, scratched out lines, and other scribbles. Halt's story was interesting, but what did this have to do with Will and the journal? Alyss raised an eyebrow, and glanced up to Halt. "That doesn't answer my question," she said bluntly.

Halt nodded. "I half did. Will isn't familiar with the area, but it falls under the Task Force's jurisdiction with the forest, Sunworth, spreading into Scotti territory. If someone who is familiar with the land gets lost all of a sudden, who says what will happen to someone who's been in the area only once or twice?"

Alyss nodded slowly, but still had a slight frown on her face. It just didn't really make sense to her. Even if Will didn't know the area around him, he still had his Ranger training to get him out of the forest. He could follow his own tracks or the sun, or, if really necessary, he had his compass, even if he didn't really trust it since Arrida.

The older Ranger seemed to sense this. "Other people have reported different events. One person said they were chased by something, but they didn't see it. They ran far enough that they were out of familiar territory, and it took them weeks to get back to their area. Another person lost their friend to the forest. They said their friend was paranoid for days before, and then just ran off before they could get out."

Smirking, Alyss folded the papers, and slipped them into a hidden pocket of her dress—one of her favorite new additions to the Courier uniform. "So you're answer is that you're concerned about Will losing his way, and gave him that journal so he can write everything down?"

His cheeks reddened, but he remained unflustered as he nodded confirmation. If there was one person Halt was comfortable acting like a father to Will around, it was Alyss.

Or Pauline.

"It could be absolutely nothing," Halt said, turning away from her. "Or it could be something serious, and I didn't want to take that chance, especially with Crowley sending him alone." He shoved the rest of the papers back into a pile, glad that he had copied down the majority of the files before Will had left. His apprentice had taken most of the report, only leaving some unnecessary pieces. But Halt had sensed something about this mission, something he didn't trust. "I'd rather be overly protective and make a fool of myself then to lose him."

Alyss's eyes raised, shocked by the morbidity in Halt's statement. But at the same time, she understood. She would much rather make a fool of herself, forcing Will to stay, rather then to send him off to something she thought would kill him.

It was then that Alyss noticed the time and realized that she was going to be late for her dinner with George and Jenny. "Thank you, Halt," she murmured, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She turned out of his apartments, heading off to dinner with two of her closest friends. She just hoped that she could focus on them, instead of focusing the what Halt had just told her.

* * *

> _Day One, Hour south of Snowbush_
> 
> _Instead of heading to Sasha's I decided to swing around to a village that one of the survivors is from. I traveled for a few hours before the sun started to set—I'm pretty sure I got to the southern most point of Sunworth around midday, so I'm impressed with the time Tug and I made. We're not to Snowbush yet, and I don't intend to sleep there, so I don't mind sleeping an hour away from a village._
> 
> _At the moment, I'm currently settled in for the night nearby a little pond. It's technically in Sunworth Woodlands, so I'm a little on edge, but at the same time, it's pretty nice here. The pond has a few fish in it, and I was able to snag a rabbit not too far from here. I much prefer rabbit over fish (sorry, Jenny, but _really. _I really can't stand fish). Either way, it's a nice place to settle for the night, and I'm marking it on my map for future reference, in case I ever come back this way._
> 
> _My plan after getting to Snowbush tomorrow is to ask around, possibly meet with one of the survivors. After that I'll head directly into the forest. I might as well get it over with, and circling around the outside of it will only take more of my time._
> 
> _So, Halt, an hour south of Snowbush. Is that specific enough? Along with the description of the pond and the mark on the map, I think I'm pretty well set. Even though I'm slightly on edge, it doesn't seem that bad. It's just like any other forest we would have traveled through on another mission. I'll even say it here: If I ever get lost, I'll just travel south until I get out of the forest. Or, I could even travel west until I hit the ocean, and then travel south from there to get out of there. I trust my training enough to know that I can't get lost in a simple forest, so I really don't see what the problem is._
> 
> _I'm going to get settled for the night. Tug seems content to just graze around the pond, and hasn't alerted me to anything, so I'm going to rest. I'll wake up early and try to get to Snowbush around midmorning. Night!_

* * *

> _Day Two, hour south of Snowbush_
> 
> _I … I don't know how to explain this to myself, so I'm going to write it down here to help wrap my head around it. Maybe you can help me with it later, Halt. Help me explain this._
> 
> _Last night, right when I was falling asleep, I could have sworn I heard something move around in the forest, circling me. Whatever it was, it was huge. For a while, I thought it was a damn bear, but I did what I was trained to do and stood my ground. I kept still. I never saw the bear, though, even when I patrolled around after I heard it left._
> 
> _The weird thing is … there were no tracks._
> 
> _Throughout the entire time this was around us, Tug was freaking out. I kept trying to quiet him, to calm him down, but he just wouldn't listen to me. I've never seen him act like that before, because he's trained to deal with bears. He's trained to stay still until those things attack. But instead he kept kicking the area around him, neighing in fright and, if it hadn't been for the fact that I left his bridle on for emergencies, I think he would have run. I haven't seen Tug act like that since the sandstorm in Arrida._
> 
> _I never found any tracks around the pond clearing, but when I searched, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. I feel it now, too, as I write this. It's morning now, and even though I can see for quite a while around me, I don't see what could be watching me._
> 
> _Since I never found any tracks, and I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched last night, I barely got any sleep. I ended up staying awake for most of the night instead of getting the rest I intended. I want to move on before night comes around again, but I'm thinking of getting some rest right now. It's light out, and even if the thing is still around, I'm more likely to see it in the daylight then in the darkness._
> 
> _If there is a bear around, or some other predator, I don't want to stay in this area. I'll cross off the map marker, just so I know that this place isn't as safe as it looks._
> 
> _Also, I'm going to sleep in a tree. Just because I can._

* * *

> _Day two, after the nap_
> 
> _Just wanted to mark down that, yes, I'm still here after my nap. I did not fall out of the tree (as you always say I will, Halt), and my sleep wasn't interrupted. Tug also seems more calm right now, although he still looks a little spooked. I think he wants to get out of the area as much as I do. After I finish writing this, I'm going to eat my leftovers from last night, and then head on to Snowbush._
> 
> _Until next time._

* * *

> _Day two, between campsite and Snowbush_
> 
> _I'm riding at the moment, so please don't mind my messy handwriting. I was just reminded of something, and I wanted to write it down so I remember it. Plus, I think it would humor you, Halt, if I ever let you read this._
> 
> _When you were poisoned by that Genoveson (what was that guy's name? Bacon? Bacard? Bacorn?), I rode through the night so I could get Malcolm to you as soon as possible. On the way there, I took a short nap by these ancient burial grounds. Horace had pointed them out before I left, and he seemed creeped out by them. I told him they weren't anything, but he still seemed a little iffy._
> 
> _Either way, by the time I got to those burial mounds, I think Horace's comments had gotten to me. I stayed there only for a few hours because I needed to rest, but I also didn't want to take up too much time. I wish I had never stopped there, though. I was woken up in the middle of the night by some presence, and I could just feel something watching me. Some giant presence didn't seem happy that I was there. I'm not superstitious (unlike Horace, apparently), but it still freaked me out, and I rode off without ever investigating it._
> 
> _When you sense things like that, something _different, _something _dangerous, _you're freaked out no matter if you believe in that stuff or not. I rode straight to Malcolm's after that. I didn't dare stop then, and since then I figured it was because of exhaustion that I sensed that presence to begin with. My exhausted mind playing tricks on me._
> 
> _But now I'm not so sure._
> 
> _I wasn't that exhausted this time, and I still felt that something was hunting me. That something malicious was watching me._
> 
> _I know these two events have little correlation, but I wanted to write it down, just so I could remember that this has happened before. Just so I could tell myself that this forest isn't getting to me, that I've experienced this before. Even if the events leading up to these experiences have little in common._
> 
> _I—I don't really know what to make of it to be honest. Maybe we should talk about it whenever I get back Halt. To be honest, I'd really appreciate it._

* * *

> _Day two, outside of Snowbush_
> 
> _I just finished speaking with the survivor. His name is Carver, and he's been a hunter in the area for just over two decades. He hasn't always lived in the immediate area, but has for over half his life. He's worked for most of those years in the forest, constantly traveling through them for days._
> 
> _Carver is a middle aged man, face lined with wrinkles and darkened by the sun. He has a thick brown beard, something the Skandians would be envious of, and messy brown hair that looked to be cut with a knife. He was broad shouldered and thick, with some obvious muscle on him that he wasn't afraid to show off. He was fairly tall, at least half a foot taller then myself._
> 
> _He's never had a problem with the forest until recently. He said a few months ago, the forest started feeling … different. More hostile. I asked if he could think of an event that kicked it off, but he couldn't think of anything. His mother mentioned something about there being a terrible storm that came in from the ocean, and that part of the coastline was dragged into the ocean. If I remember correctly, Sasha did mention that most of the reports happened after a hurricane hit the coast._
> 
> _I asked Carver to go over what happened when he got lost, but he kind of gave me a weird look. I got his permission to write it down, so the next page is what he told me, word for word (more or less)._
> 
> _Carver's recollection & our conversation:_
> 
> "_Before I get into this, Ranger, I want you to know one thing. I've been living and working in those woods since my teens, and I've never had a problem before. The most dangerous thing I've run into in those woods is a bear, and it was a mama bear protecting her young. You've gotta be pretty dense if you don't respect a mama bear."_
> 
> _I nodded, remembering the night before. I still don't have a better idea of what it could have been. "Bears aren't the worst thing I've run into," I told him, and he nodded as if he understood my statement, despite previously saying otherwise. I seriously doubt he's ever dealt with a creature literally made to be an assassin when he was fifteen, but I didn't ask._
> 
> _He continued with his story after that, watching my writing hand the entire time. As far as my knowledge went, not many people in the village could read, let alone write, but that wasn't going to stop me from writing down his story._
> 
> "_I went into the forest like usual, a few days since I last came back. Normally, I go out there for a few days, hunt around and camp in the area, and then head back to sell my game to the local inn or anyone else who is interested. It's a simple job, but one that I've been doing for years. I had just come back from the forest, and it had that weird feeling to it that's been around since the storm near the coast. A forest that used to be calming was hostile suddenly, and I started carrying an extra blade on me._
> 
> "_Either way, this time, when I went out, it was worse. The first night out, I could tell there was something stalking me, but I couldn't tell what or where. I didn't get much sleep that night, but I did my hunting like usual the next day, and settled down again for the night. This time, something actually … something attacked me, I think."_
> 
> _Carver paused right here, and he looked behind him where we could both see the forest outside of the town. "Something attacked you," I tried to prompt, but he seemed to have stopped listening to me. "Carver," I said, "you said something attacked you. Do you know what?"_
> 
> "_I—I didn't see," he said, finally turning back to face me. He looked shaken, like he had just seen a ghost. It was odd, because I was looking the same exact direction he was, and hadn't seen anything. "I didn't see what it was, but it tore up my camp and most of my supplies. My horse ran off, and I haven't seen the thing since."_
> 
> "_Were you hurt?" I asked, because I hadn't noticed if he had had any injuries on him._
> 
> "_I got a few cuts and scrapes, right when it came at me, but—well, I kept my head down. I could hear something smash around the camp, but I stayed down. I don't know what might've happened if I hadn't. And the sounds the thing made—lord, it sounded like it was screaming. I don't even know how else to describe it, but I was too afraid to look at it._
> 
> "_After that, the next morning, I couldn't find my way back. I've used the same campsite for a months, so I knew my way about. But I just—I just couldn't find my way back. And it felt like something was chasing me the entire time I was searching for my way back."_
> 
> _If an experienced hunter couldn't find their way back, then that was a concern, besides the fact that he admitted he hadn't slept the night before and worked that whole day. Exhaustion could make someone hallucinate, or simply just have a hard time recalling information. I didn't say this to him, though, not wanting to offend him._
> 
> "_How did you finally manage to get back?" I asked instead._
> 
> "_I passed out," he said, again admitting his exhaustion. "I hid up in the trees, and passed out. Later, when I woke up, I realized where I was, and was able to make my way back eventually. I haven't gone back out there since, mostly because I lost all of my supplies and my horse."_
> 
> _We talked a little bit longer after this, but nothing else he told me was worthy of writing down. I noted the similarities between his first night out there and mine, just last night, and that makes me wonder what will happen if I sleep in the forest again tonight. Will something attack me?_

* * *

> _Day two, in Sunworth, before nightfall_
> 
> _Bit of a time skip for this entry, but I haven't had the time to sit down and write just yet. I figured I should write something out before night falls though, just in case something does happen._
> 
> _After talking to Carver, I decided to still head into Sunworth, heading straight west from Snowbush. His story was concerning, but at the same time, I can't let that stop me from doing my job. Carver was exhausted from the night before, and I at least had the foresight to take a nap after my encounter. Plus, Tug is better trained then whatever horse Carver may have had with him. He may have been a hunter, but I feel that I'm better trained them him to deal with this sort of events._
> 
> _Right now, I'm camped about five hours deep into Sunworth. About an hour ago, I got to a pretty dense part of the forest, so I decided to slow down. I'm going to sleep in a tree again, and I told Tug to stay on alert. I don't like doing it, but I also kept him saddled and packed up just in case we have to go. I … I don't want to say I believe something is going on in this forest, but something is definitely _weird _about it. Maybe I don't completely trust Carver's recollection, but I trust my own experiences._
> 
> _We'll see how this night goes, and I'll update you in the morning._
> 
> _If this turns out to be nothing, you'll probably never see this notebook again. Sometimes, I feel foolish for believing in these weird happenings, especially when it originally happened with Malcolm, but sometimes I swear … I can't stop thinking about when I was younger, when Morgarath and his wargals were invading the land. It's hard not to think magic and other unnatural things exist when you grow up with that stuff happening all around you. Who's to say that wargals and kalkara and god-knows what else isn't out there?_
> 
> _Either way, Halt, if something is going on in this forest, I'll let you know. But for now, I think it's just a common hallucination from exhausted people. There's a word for that right?_
> 
> _See you in the morning._

* * *

Halt sat across the table, staring at his newly returned wife as she worked on a paper. Even though he was happy to see Pauline again, only Alyss's words from the night before circled in his head. _"He should've been back by now, Halt. He said two weeks, three at most. He should've been back, Halt."_

Loud, hurrying footsteps came from the hallway, and for a moment, Halt didn't register the gait. And then he did. _Crowley?_

The Ranger stood without saying anything and headed to the door. Flinging it open, he saw his friend, hair a mess and a worried look on his face, his fist up and ready to knock at the door.

"He should've been back by now," Halt muttered, getting to the point and waving Crowley into his apartments. "It's been longer then what he said, and he never sent an update."

His old friend turned in surprise, eyes wide with surprise. "Did you just read my mind, Halt?"

Halt shut the door, but stayed near the entrance. He didn't want to bother his wife more then he already had. He didn't know why Crowley was here, but if he was, he might have answer as to why Will wasn't back yet. He could let Halt go to find his apprentice and cover Redmont for the two of them.

"Is that why you're here?" Halt asked, frowning at the commandant. He kept his voice low, but now, every word just made him want to run out of the castle. Abelard was ready to ride, he just need to grab his bag. If Will wasn't okay … Halt didn't know what he'd do.

Crowley nodded his head, looking down the hallway and seeing Pauline. He seemed uncomfortable. "We got another report about Sunworth," he said, trailing off. He pulled a leather file from the messenger bag at his side, handing it over to Halt. "Sasha forgot to send it in, and was hoping Will would stop by before he went out, but he never did. I—You should have left with Will in the first place. It's my mistake, Halt, but you need to leave now. That forest—" Crowley swallowed, and suddenly he looked sick. "Somethings in that forest, Halt, and I don't know what could happen to Will."

For a moment, Halt didn't understand what Crowley was saying. '_I don't know what could happen to Will'_ just kept repeating in his head.

"Cover Redmont for me," he said bluntly. He didn't wait for Crowley's response, turning back into his apartment. He already had a bag packed.

Pauline looked up from where she sat at their table, her eyes wide at Halt's sudden entry. "Halt? Is everything alright?" she asked, starting to stand from her spot.

Instead, Halt moved to where he had hung the bag on the chair he had been sitting at. "Will needs me," he said simply, planting a kiss on his wife's forehead, the satchel gripped in his fist. "I'll be back soon."

When he turned, he saw Crowley coming down the hallway, a completely shattered look to his face. He was going to blame himself for whatever happened to Will, even if nothing did happen. "Are you leaving right away?" he asked, his eyes sad yet alert as they tracked Halt's movement around the apartment.

"Yes," he said simply, moving around his friend. "I'm going to get my apprentice back."


	2. Chapter 2

Halt should have realized sooner. Maybe if he had, they would have been able to stop this.

Beside him, Ranger Sasha looked around the abandoned campsite, face grave. If only he had gone with Will. Maybe if he had, they would have been able to stop this. If only he had gotten the final report sooner, and sent it out faster, then none of this would have happened in the first place.

The young Ranger looked over his shoulder, eyes catching those of Lady Alyss Mainwaring. He had been surprised to see Ranger Halt, but even more surprised to see that he had brought along a courier. Whatever could mess around with an entire forest and possibly take out a Ranger wouldn't think anything of a courier.

Alyss could sense the thoughts going through the Ranger's head, but paid him no mind. She didn't _care _about that Ranger. She just wanted _her_ Ranger back.

Together, the three of them moved around the small campsite of one, looking for clues as to where their friend could have gone. Tug was no where to be seen, but there were horse tracks and Will's folding bucket, still partially filled with oats, just outside the camp where he had probably been situated. There was a small campfire that was burnt out, and a crumpled and empty bedroll that was spread just opposite of Tug's spot. That was it. There were no bloodstains, no extra footprints besides Will's own and theirs. Will hadn't set up his tent, so it was likely still with Tug, wherever the small horse and his master may be.

At the head of the bedroll, though, lay Will's worn satchel.

Alyss stared at it for a moment, dread building in the back of her throat. She looked at Halt and saw that he was staring at the same thing. Slowly, he knelt down next to the bedroll, a hand hovering over the bag. He looked to Alyss, as if asking for her approval to go through her husband's things.

She nodded, moving the kneel next to Halt.

Hating himself for going through Will's personal possessions, Halt flipped open the bag and glanced in to see the contents. Just as he expected, there were gloves he had thrown in, charcoal, a journal, seasonings Will carried for cooking, supplies for making new arrows, beeswax for his bow string, and—Halt paused, before shifting the contents back. The journal he had handed to Will before he left, fueled out of pure paranoia and fatherly concern, was wrapped in oilskin cloth, and another piece of charcoal marked a page about halfway through.

A lump formed in his throat. Will's face had been incredulous when Halt had handed it to him, but he had taken it nonetheless. He hadn't expected Will to use it, and if someone had handed Halt one—well, he wouldn't have used it, plain and simple. Halt closed his eyes—but _of course _Will would use it if Halt had given it to him. According to Will, Halt knew best.

But Halt _didn't _know best. Not when he had let Will go by himself. Not when his only thought to Will leaving on a suspicious assignment was to give him a _journal _instead of questioning it further. Telling him to wait. If he had told Will to wait, he would have still been in Redmont, or at least somewhere they could find him, when Crowley had shown up.

"Find something?" Sasha murmured, glancing over to the two of them from his spot across the campsite. He seemed to be looking around the surrounding area, possibly searching for further footprints or tracks. He had his bow ready, an arrow resting on the string as if something could come up on them at any moment. For all they knew, something could.

Halt looked up and around the area, eyes never landing on Sasha. Not wanting to be rude, but not wanting to share Will's private words with someone who wasn't family, Halt kept the journal close to his chest, nodding. "I think so. Would you mind looking around the area for tracks or anything else? We need to find him. We'll figure out what this is, and follow you."

Sympathy flooded into Sasha's eyes, before he looked down. Being junior to both Halt and Will, Sasha had no right to refuse. "Okay," he nodded, and walked away silently, flicking his hood up and fading into the forest background.

Halt hated him for his sympathy, but said nothing. Instead, he looked back down at the journal and turned more so Alyss could see what he held. Recognition flooded into her eyes, but sadness clouded it over quickly. She saw her husband's writing, recognized his words. She reached out, fingers barely brushing the rough paper where Halt had opened it. One page was partially written on while the other was blank. There was a piece of charcoal sitting in between the pages, an obvious marker for how far he had written.

"Go to the beginning," Alyss murmured, pulling her hand away. Without a word, Halt flipped through the pages, heading for the first entry. As they went through the pages, not reading anything, Alyss saw many things. Small doodles within the margins, larger drawings that the words went around. Long entries, short entires, sometimes only a word written here or there. He started each entry with what day it was of his journey, ranging from day one to day sixteen. Alyss swallowed hard. Today would be the twenty-fourth day that he'd been gone. He was supposed to be back on the sixteenth at the latest.

Together, Halt and Alyss read through the first few pages. Halt smiled wryly, seeing how Will had written the journal as if it were for him. It was almost as if Will were speaking to them. The entries chronicling the first few days were fairly normal, except for the first night. Halt frowned, reading what Will wrote during the first night and the morning after. A large creature had stalked him, freaking Tug out and yet leaving behind no sign it had been there. And, according to the account he had gotten through Carver, he wasn't the only one who had experienced such things in the forest.

The second night was when it started to go downhill.

* * *

> _Day Three, second Sunworth campsite_
> 
> _These are probably the worst conditions to write something down, but, once again, I find that I need to write this down before something else happens. Before I lose the chance to write this down._
> 
> _Carver's recollection, while not perfect, is … scarily similar to what I've just experienced. Thankfully, I had nothing attack me, but I heard the creature again. Something was stalking me again last night, and it was all I could do to keep Tug calm. I couldn't see anything in the darkness, but I heard everything._
> 
> _Whatever it is, it's big. This morning, when I went looking for tracks, I realized that what I previously thought were just marks in the ground from nature were actually the tracks. I think at the previous campsite where I said there were none, I just hadn't realized what I was looking at were actual tracks. But the marks I'm seeing here and the ones I saw back at the first campsite were too similar to not notice._
> 
> _They're … they're not the size or look of any tracks I've seen before. They're large, wide on one end, narrow at the other. There's claws, I can see, and they're … they're big. Whatever this thing is, it's bipedal, but it's arms must be long. I think what made me doubt them being tracks is the fact that it looks like something was dragged alongside both prints. Whatever it was, they're too thin to be bodies, and there's multiple being dragged along side._
> 
> _Almost … almost as if whatever was stalking me had long claws hanging from it's arms._
> 
> _Halt, I don't know what is out here with me, but … I … I don't know what it is. I—I already said that, but I just. I don't know what it is, Halt. What does that even mean? What could it even be? What do I do?_
> 
> _And why does it feel like I should know what it is?_

* * *

> _Day three, second Sunworth campsite_
> 
> _Once again, I decided to rest during part of the day instead of continuing through exhausted. I think sleeping in the tree helped, but I feel terrible for Tug, stuck there on the ground._
> 
> _I couldn't sleep though, so here I am. I keep thinking about those tracks, or whatever they were. I can't believe I didn't notice them before, I feel so stupid. They were so obvious, but their size threw me off, and with the marks on either side, they were sometimes obliterated. And now here I am, in the middle of this forest with whatever the hell that thing is._
> 
> _I feel like I should recognize those tracks. I keep wracking my brain, trying to figure out where I had seen them before, but nothing is coming to mind. Nothing, except creatures that shouldn't exist._
> 
> _Remember in my first year, Halt, how we had to go find that beast Morgarath sent down to kill you? I never got close enough to get a good look at it, but it's form has haunted my nightmares for years. I remember the scream the most clear, though. If I didn't know better, if I didn't know that every last Kalkara was dead … I would almost swear one was in the forest with me right now._

* * *

> _Day three, before nightfall, further into Sunworth_
> 
> _I was actually thinking of leaving for the longest time. Up in the tree, my back up against the trunk, I debated what the point was to stay. I would be giving in, sure, but both Tug and I would survive and we could always come back with Sasha or you._
> 
> _But during the day, it feels like a regular forest. I see animals around like I normally would, and I was able to shoot a few rabbits and pheasants down for dinner later. During the day, it's like I'm in a completely different area, with no monster stalking me at night._
> 
> _Saying that now, a monster stalking me, in broad daylight where I'm sitting next to a bubbling creek, it seems wild. Nothing else here is disturbed, absolutely nothing._
> 
> _I'm going to continue on, see if I can find anything else._
> 
> _I just hope I don't regret this._

* * *

Alyss and Halt flipped through the next pages, noting how the majority of Will's notes, going from day three to day nine, were all directional notes. He made no other comments about the stalking creature, besides the fact that it seemed to back off on the third night, and he began sleeping on the ground again with Tug.

Halt looked up from the journal, thinking through the way they had come to get here. They had gone straight through the forest, cutting Will's time in half because of the circuitous route he had taken. He was trying to cover as much ground as possible, looping his tracks to see if he had missed anything suspicious. They had followed his tracks from Snowbush, but when they realized what he was doing, Sasha continued following the tracks while Halt and Alyss rode straight on.

After flipping through the rest of his notes, Halt paused. The journal went from his short, directional notes, to a long, frantic entry. Before he could say anything, Alyss's hand reached out as if to stop Halt from turning the page.

* * *

> _Day nine, just after sunrise_
> 
> _It's back._
> 
> _It's back, and it's angry._
> 
> _I thought it had left, but it hadn't, and now I regret not leaving that third night._
> 
> _It attacked, just like with Carver. It attacked and I honestly don't know how I'm alive._
> 
> _I was just going to bed, on my bedroll and not in a tree, with Tug just behind me. My fire was low because I wasn't planning on stoking it, it was a fairly nice night out. Nothings happened for nearly a week, so I wasn't expecting anything to happen._
> 
> _Right as I laid down, something flew over my head. It was large and dark. I didn't get a good look at it, but it had short, powerful legs and long arms. The claws on that thing—god, I believed it would gut me then and there. I don't know why it didn't._
> 
> _Instead, it landed on the other side of the fire, and it grabbed something—maybe rocks, dirt, I don't know—and the next thing I knew, the fire went dark. I could hear Tug neighing, and it sounded like he ran off. I nearly got up and ran after him, but that thing, I could still hear it in the clearing with me. I laid still, I hadn't moved since it had jumped over me. It started tearing around the camp, throwing itself and trees and whatnot._
> 
> _And then it screamed._
> 
> _It screamed, so long and so loud, it made my veins run cold._
> 
> _Halt—I, I can't explain it any other way. That _thing, _that was a _Kalkara_. There's no other way to explain it. You can't call it anything else, not with the little I saw. Long arms with claws, short legs—the fur, thick and smelly—all of it. It was all there. Even it's hatred of fire. And the scream._
> 
> _I need to get out of here. There's no way I'm taking on a Kalkara by myself, no way. I'm going to start heading back to Snowbush, and from there I can make it to Sasha. We'll have to decide what to do, but we'll possibly have to split up—Sasha to keep others from going into the forest, and me to fetch others to help take this thing out._
> 
> _But first things first—I need to find Tug._

* * *

Halt sucked in a breath. From the late report Sasha had brought in, detailing blood-curdling, inhuman screams, he had suspected that a Kalkara might be the answer to whatever creature was hunting in these forests. The only problem was no one who had seen the monster was left alive. Only one, Carver, had lived an attack from it, but he hadn't seen it well enough for Halt to be sure.

But Will, someone who had not only fought a Kalkara but lived, had seen the creature in these forests and confirmed Halt's fear; the assassin-like creature was back, and this time, it didn't have master it had to listen to. It could kill whoever and whatever it wanted.

Thinking quickly, Halt flipped back through Will's journal, picking out the parts where he mentioned the strangeness started after a storm hit the coast. Was it possible the storm had awoken something? Something like the Kalkara?

"The Kalkara," Alyss murmured, her eyes taking in everything the page was saying. "I thought they were extinct?"

Pursing his lips, Halt flipped back to the entry they had just read. "As far as we knew, they were," Halt said back quietly. "But we could never be sure."

* * *

> _Day ten, midnight_
> 
> _I can't find my way out. I—I followed the directional notes I have here in my journal, but nothing looked right. Maybe it's because I went off course to follow Tug's tracks, but I didn't go that far off. And I followed his tracks right back to our camp when I did find him, and then turned back from there._
> 
> _It's so strange, because I know I was in this area not a day ago, but nothing looks right. The trees are darker and they're not letting in enough light, not like they were before. It's like it's dark out, but I know that it's the middle of the day._
> 
> _I'm looking over the reports Sasha had sent in, and one of them mentions a woman losing her way along a trail she took nearly every day of her life. I didn't understand how she could just forget before, but now I think it wasn't forgetting. She just didn't recognize the forest she was in and tried to go back._
> 
> _This forest is weird. I thought Grimsdell was weird, but this one you can't even begin to predict._
> 
> _I'm going to sleep in the trees again, but I'm going to leave Tug loose. I'd hate to lose him again, but I'd rather him run off and survive then be stuck and get killed._

* * *

> _Day ten, morning_
> 
> _Tug is still here, thankfully, and I wasn't knocked out of the tree during the night. I could hear it though, pacing around the area._
> 
> _I think it's following me._
> 
> _I have to get out of here._

* * *

> _Day eleven, noon?_
> 
> _The harder I try to get out of here, the more confused I am as to where I am. Nothing looks familiar, and I swear the forest gets darker constantly. I think it's noon, when the sun should be at it's brightest, but it's so dark out here. I can barely see Tug's head in front of me._
> 
> _I've tried following my tracks. I've tried following the directional marks that I have. My last chance is it make it to the coast, all the way back through the forest and west. The problem is I don't know how far I've come, or even in what direction. I should, as far as I'm aware, have been traveling east, but with the sun missing, it's hard to keep track. And my compass … my compass is broken, I think._
> 
> _The last time I couldn't use it, it was because there was iron screwing up the magnets. But even then, it was still working properly. This time, it's just spinning._
> 
> _I don't know how or when I'll ever get out of here._

* * *

"You told me about that," Alyss whispered, her eyes raking over the page.

Halt frowned, looking at the courier next to him. "I told you about what?"

Alyss leaned forward, her finger landing just below a paragraph in the second to last entry they had read. "The woman who got lost in the forest," she said, and then she was reading from Will's writing. "'_One of them mentions a woman losing her way along a trail she took nearly every day of her life,' _you told me about that one."

Now Halt understood what she was talking about. "In one of the reports. Will took the majority of them with him, but he didn't have access to the one we have."

The courier's eyes stayed stuck to the page of her husband's writing. She said it anyways. "The report of the screams?" she murmured, eyes going back up to Will's comment about the screams and the Kalkara.

Halt nodded, pulling the report Sasha had sent in from his own bag. It wasn't anything special—not to anyone who hadn't had a run in with a Kalkara. But the descriptions of the creature haunting the forest in addition to the screams was too much of a coincidence.

For a moment, neither of them said anything, and Halt played with the corner of the page they were on. He seemed to be thinking of something.

They skimmed through the rest of the journal. Again, most of the pages were detailing Will's directional choices, as well as his comments about how nothing seemed to be right. He still sensed the Kalkara—or whatever it was—stalking him, but he couldn't make it out of the forest. All of his tactics to maintain his course seemed to have failed, and the constant darkness of the forest was messing with his internal clock.

Finally, they got to what he had marked down as the sixteenth day. There was only one entry.

* * *

> _Day sixteen, ?_
> 
> _I promised Alyss I would be back before the sixteenth day. I said two weeks at most. But here I am, lost for a week in a goddamn forest. I grew up in forests, I've worked in forests for the majority of my life—but I can't even make my way out of this one. It's not even that big._
> 
> _The Kalkara gets closer and closer at night. And I don't know how many more nights I have before that thing comes at me. I can't do much for a defense against it, not by myself. The most I can do at night is to build a fire and make sure it goes throughout the entire night. But I also don't want to be completely exhausted the next day, so I could try staying in a tree._
> 
> _I've found downed trees, though, with fresh claw marks gouging them._
> 
> _So here I am, stranded in a forest, being hunted by a monster I thought I was rid of years ago._
> 
> _I … I figured I should write something out, for Alyss. For you, Halt, and Horace, Pauline. And Gilan, and Crowley … George, Jenny. Everyone._
> 
> _Just in case … just in case something happens._
> 
> _I'll be honest, this was the last way I thought I'd go. I thought I was done with the Kalkara, that it was impossible to die from them because they were all dead themselves. But at least one is back, and it's hunting me, and I don't know why or how to avoid it. So this is what I wanted to say before night falls again (I think), and I get too tired to continue traveling._
> 
> _I keep thinking about what I could be leaving behind if … if I don't make it through this. At first, I didn't think anything. Would anyone miss me? But here I am, Halt, talking to you through a journal you gave me when you couldn't think of anything else to help me, as if you could give me advice right here and now. I wish you were here, Halt, because maybe we could actually do something. And then there's Alyss. Don't tell her this, but every day I wake up next to her, I always ask myself what I did to deserve her. She deserves someone so much more put together then me, because _come one. _I'm an absolute mess, I can be pretty reckless, and it seems like the life-spans of Rangers are pretty short. I love her, but I want her to be happy, so … so I hope she can move on from me. I hope she can find someone else to give her all the love she deserves._
> 
> _A lot of the times, when people think about what they'll leave behind when they die, they think of the people they're leaving behind, and while I did think of that, something else came to mind. You're leaving these people, but they still have a part of you with them. Like, even if Alyss _does _move on from me, I … I'd like to think that she'd remember me for who I was. Remember me for how much I loved her. I guess what I'm trying to say, and I'm saying this terribly through tears, is that when you go, you leave behind the love you felt for those around you. You leave behind these people, but also all of the shared moments and cheer that you experienced together. Literally, when people think what they're leaving behind, it's how you love and loved that people remember._
> 
> _I hope that's the one thing people remember about me._
> 
> _Thank you … for everything. You believed in me and cared for me more then I ever thought possible, Halt. You saved me so many times, in ways you wouldn't even think twice about. You saved me from myself and my thoughts during the worst times, and I can't thank you enough for that. I know I had a birth father and I know the story you told me about him, Halt, but you … you were the one there for me. You were the best father I could have ever asked for._
> 
> _I love you._
> 
> _\- Will_

* * *

Halt and Alyss sat in silence for a moment, stunned by what they had just read. Alyss's hand curled around Halt's bicep, tightening slightly as she reread the final words over and over again.

_I love you._

She closed her eyes, tears tracking down the dirt on her face from their quick travel north.

"Halt?" a voice came through the forest, and Alyss's eyes shot back open. Next to her, Halt snapped the journal shut, deftly passing it into Alyss's hands before standing. His face was stony, but Alyss knew him well enough to see the utter despair in his eyes.

"Did you find something?" he said gruffly, standing next to the bedroll that they had been sitting at.

Sasha's eyes flicked between them, but instead of saying anything about the obvious tears on the courier's face, he jabs his thumb over his shoulder, pointing to something deeper in the forest. "I found …" he trailed off, indecision making his mouth twist as he thought for the right words. "I … I definitely found something, I guess you could say." He turned, and started walking back into the forest. "It's not far in this direction, but I was able to find some tracks," the Ranger said, assuming Halt and Alyss would follow directly after him.

"Tracks?" Alyss murmured, taking Halt's proffered hand as she moved to stand from her spot. "Will's? Tug's?"

Following Sasha into the forest, Alyss walked side-by-side with Halt, not wanting to stray too far from the only familiar person in the area. Halt, sensing her unease, slowed his pace slightly, making sure to offer help when she needed it, but also to step back when she could obviously handle an obstacle herself. Thankfully, she didn't wear her standard white courier dress, but instead a white blouse that mimicked the top of her courier dress and men's trousers tucked into a pair of riding boots. Not exactly the most travel friendly outfit, but better then if she had been wearing a dress of any kind. Sasha's eyebrows had risen when he first saw her, but Halt had ignored the look, instead making the younger Ranger focus on the fact that he had a very angry senior Ranger in his cabin.

"I … I don't think so," Sasha said, responding to Alyss's question. He looked over his shoulder at the two of them, biting his lip as if he were considering saying something else. "I think it'd be best to just show you."

Further into the forest, Sasha moved around something on the ground, looking up at Halt and motioning for him to examine whatever was on the ground. Alyss didn't need to be an expert to recognize the marks though.

It was the same thing that Will had described in his journal that he had realized were the tracks of the Kalkara.

Halt seemed to consider the tracks for a moment, before looking back up to Sasha. "Did you find anything else?"

The younger Ranger nodded, pointing in a southern direction, past the camp. "Will and Tug's tracks go that way, but I didn't follow them all the way. I circled around to see if there was anything else and found this."

Taking a breath, Halt looked in the direction Sasha had pointed, and then back down at the footprint of the Kalkara. Finally, he looked up, meeting Alyss's eyes as she, too, looked at the Kalkara print and the direction in which her husband had fled.

"Sasha … can you do something for me?" Halt murmured, pulling the young Ranger closer to them. He began whispering something to him, loud enough so that Alyss could hear, but not at normal speaking tones. Sasha nodded along with whatever Halt was saying, until he frowned. He opened his mouth to say something, but Halt kept talking, pointing back in the direction of Snowbush and, further, Sasha's own cabin. "Can you do that?" Halt finished, watching Sasha's face.

Slowly, Sasha nodded, eyes questioning and obviously confused. But he didn't try to argue—he didn't say anything at all. Instead, he walked back to the camp with Halt and Alyss and silently got back onto his horse. He bid farewell to the two of them, and then was gone, the forest swallowing him whole.

* * *

"Why did you send him away?" Alyss asked, looking over to Halt from her own horse. Her's was a gray mare, long limbed and probably not the best suited for the off-road traveling that they were doing. But it was the only horse she had, besides Will's own Tug. They were a few hours away from Will's abandoned campsite, and night was going to fall soon. They hadn't had problems since entering the forest, but it was easy to figure out why that was happening. The Kalkara was stalking it's prey, and it wasn't about to abandon it after trying for weeks to kill it.

Halt, for his part, wasn't looking at Alyss or even in front of them. He stared at the ground, following the tracks of his missing apprentice and the monster that followed in his wake. The grizzled Ranger sighed. "I wanted him to make sure no one else traveled into the forest," Halt said, eyes jumping forward to where the tracks continued. It was a strain on his eyes to try and continue in the growing dark, but he wanted to get as far as possible before they put in for the night. He nudged Abelard, pushing him to follow the tracks. "It's a large forest, but if he can keep even some of the people out, it's a start."

Alyss's eyes narrowed. "That's not everything you said to him," she pointed out, nudging her horse forward to follow the Ranger.

"No," Halt murmured, agreeing. But he shook his head, still not looking up to Alyss. "I wanted him to be out of the way. He's inexperienced, and I don't know how he would have reacted with something like a Kalkara coming at him. It's … different from anything else he would have faced up here."

"Why didn't you try to send me away then?" Alyss asked, sticking her chin up. "I'm not exactly experienced either." She was glad he hadn't tried sending her away with Sasha, but all the same—why hadn't he?

Finally, Halt turned and faced her, raising a single eyebrow as he studied her. "Would you have left if I had told you to? Or would you have tried to continue on yourself?" he asked bluntly, knowing the answer already. He knew her well enough to figure that one out without having to go through the argument itself. "No, you wouldn't have. You'd have continued on, for Will. And I'd rather have you with me then alone in this forest."

At that, Halt pulled Abelard to a stop, looking down at the prints again. Slowly, the Ranger got down from his horse and knelt next to the closest print. Instead of just horse hooves, there were footprints as well. Will must have dismounted. Halt looked forward, eyes trying to follow where his apprentice had gone in the dark. But by then, it was nearly impossible to see the horse next to him, let alone footprints leading further into the forest.

Halt sighed, closing his eyes in frustration. They needed to find Will as soon as possible, but the darkness was preventing that. They would have to bed down for the night. Halt motioned to Alyss, mumbling something about setting up camp here. She nodded and slipped down from her horse. As she did so, Halt easily threw his hood back on, and slipped into the night. He wanted to make sure they were truly alone in that little area, and he wouldn't stray too far from her—Alyss knew this, and started pulling her bedroll from where it was rolled up behind her saddle. When Halt got back, they would set up the rest of camp together.

He returned not too much later, hands empty and a tired look on his face. They made a small fireplace with rocks and twigs in the area, and Halt lit it with his flint and steel. Alyss pulled out the small bag of rations she had—hard bread, cheese, and dried meat—and sat down to eat. Moments later, Halt sat down beside her, and they sat in companionable silence as they ate their small meal.

"Do you think we'll find him … alright?" Alyss murmured, looking down at her hands in her lap. She had been too afraid to ask that earlier, but the words kept circling in her mind. '_I hope she can find someone else to give her all the love she deserves.'_

"We'll find him," Halt said quietly, nodding his head slowly. He chewed on his lip, the meat in his hand all but forgotten. "We'll find him, and we'll bring him home."

* * *

Will's eyes flung open. He gasped at the pain radiating through his body, all originating from the deep wound in his side. He looked up into the dark foliage above him and wondered if that would be the last thing he saw before he died. _At least it was a beautiful forest,_ he thought, staring upwards. _At least there was a chance Tug made it out._

Something moved around him, cracking fallen branches and stomping closer to where he lay. Whatever it was sniffed the area, a low growl building in it's throat.

Will closed his eyes. A light breeze filtered through the clearing he laid in, whispering over his cheeks and cooling the hot blood that he could feel pooling around him. He took a deep breath, sensing the thing as it got closer to him.

He stood.

* * *

Halt shifted his hand on his bow, but didn't let go. Silently, he glanced over to where Alyss lay on her bedroll, sound asleep underneath the cloak she had brought along. Halt hadn't seen it right away, not when they had left, but when she had brought it out the first night to use as a blanket, Halt had paused. It was one of Will's spare cloaks. But then he remembered that, when he had packed for this trip, he hadn't grabbed his regular travel bag. He had grabbed a bag Will had made for him, in all it's worn and terrible stitching glory. He had grabbed it, not because it was the best at it's job, but because it was Will's.

He looked away.

Sighing, Halt looked back at the fire, contemplating it. If they _were _dealing with a Kalkara, which they most undoubtedly were, they would need a way to defeat it. Normal arrows wouldn't work that well against it, but, years and years ago, his apprentice had done a simple action that had ended what they had thought to be the final Kalkara's life.

He looked back to Alyss's sleeping form. He wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight anyways, not with the imminent danger that surrounded them. No, what they needed was something that could stop this.

He set out to work.

* * *

Will lunged to the side, diving for where he knew his bow had fallen when he had be flung off of Tug. His hand curled around the familiar smooth wood, and he rolled with the dive, pushing through the pain and diving around a tree right when he got up. He whipped the last arrow out of his quiver, shooting around the tree without even looking. He didn't wait to listen or see if it hit, instead immediately jumping upwards and grabbing the lowest tree branch, hauling himself up.

There was a thump, then a screech. He had already angered the Kalkara once, when he had emptied the majority of his quiver into it's face, but it still came at him. It wanted his life now.

Blood and sweat made his grip slippery and for a moment, Will thought he was going to fall back. His vision swam, his wound throbbed.

Then, something slammed into the tree below him.

Will's foot slipped, his grip loosened, and he felt himself begin to fall backwards.

* * *

A screech echoed through the forest, long and low.

Halt's head jerked up, his hands freezing from working the soaked cloth around the arrow tip. He had the redo all of the weights along the shaft, but his shoddy, imperfect improvisation would have to work. He had three arrows finished, and the fourth was sitting in his lap. The forest ceased it's whispering and moving around their small campsite, waiting for the shriek to sound again. Everything fell still, waiting. Listening.

He waited, listening, expecting more. Expecting worse. Expecting a scream that would end everything.

Alyss stirred on her bedroll, rolling slightly to lay on her stomach. Her eyes opened, meeting Halt's across the campsite, a question obvious in her eyes. Halt slowly shook his head, motioning for her to stay where she was. They waited, listening together.

And then it happened. The scream of the Kalkara split the night, piercing through the trees and foliage. Alyss jerked up from her spot, horror widening her eyes and paling her face. She may have never heard the Kalkara when it had hunted her loved ones so many years ago, but the scream was unmistakable for what it was. It was a monster, newly awoken and angry, _hungry, _and it was on the hunt.

Moving quickly, Halt stood, collecting the few arrows he was able to prepare. Slipping them into his quiver, he slung the quiver back over his shoulder and strode across their meager camp, holding out a hand for her.

She grabbed it, letting him help her up, her hand falling to the saber she had been sleeping next to.

* * *

The Kalkara slammed into the tree again, and again, and again, not seeming to notice that Will had fallen from the branches, landing hard on his back. Groaning, Will rolled onto his side—and regretted it immediately, feeling twigs and dirt rub into his wound, scraping the sensitive skin. He cried out, pain shooting through his body, paralyzing him. He couldn't _move _it hurt so bad.

The creature halted, going utterly still. He could hear it breathing.

Will's eyes were screwed shut, as if trying to block the pain. As if trying to block the view of the Kalkara from himself before it went in for the kill. But he opened his eyes, looking up and into the eyes of the Kalkara.

It was just as he remembered it, but this one was slightly smaller, the fur not as gross and smelly, but still terrible. The shaggy, scale-like hair covered it's entire, oddly shaped body with the long, talon-clad arms. It reached out, claws thudding on the ground just to his side. The short legs, powerful and thick, moved around him, and Will held his breath. He knew what was going to happen, and yet … and yet, he couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop it.

His eyes, no matter how hard he resisted, were pulled up the Kalkara's bloody and arrow-ridden ape-like face, and stared straight into the gleaming red eyes.

Will knew right before he lost his focus that this was how he was going to die.

The Kalkara stood above it's prey, _finally _victorious. It hadn't originally planned to kill this one, but then it had come back, and it was too tempting. Two meals, the beast and the master, all for it's taking. But this one played hard-to-get, evading the Kalkara just long enough to make it angry. It wanted it's _meal _and it wanted it _now._

Having finally caught it's meal, it threw back it's head, screaming into the dark sky above them. But unlike the one that had tried to kill Halt, Arald, and Rodney that one night, this one didn't try to savor the victory. This one was _hungry._

It looked back down on it's prey, the man's eyes still locked on it's own. The blood pooling out of Will's side was making the thing's mouth water, the drool dripping through the teeth and landing on Will's shirt.

He breathed, slowly. One breath in, one breath out.

At least it would be fast, right?

A whistle pierced through the night, shocking the Kalkara and dragging it's gaze away from Will. He jerked out of the trance, now able to realize what had been about to happen. He gasped for breath, shocked out of the hold and back into reality. He had been prepared to die.

The Kalkara turned, growling, as it looked in the shadows for whatever had called it's attention. It could smell something more, something that it could add to it's small meal, now that the beast had run off.

Will watched the shadows the monster stared at, eyes widening as a spark lit up the small area in-between two trees. He saw a cloaked man, a quiver full of arrows at his side, and a long, familiar bow being raised in aim. Another spark, illuminating a second figure with a white shirt and dark pants, unfamiliar except for the blond hair at her shoulders. Fire flared from the arrowhead, catching the oil Halt had worked into the cloth that was now wrapped around the broadhead. He drew back the bow, wincing as the flame burned his knuckle. Halt remembered the small scar Will had on his own knuckle, a reminder of his own time pulling the flaming arrow back.

The creature screeched, splaying out it's arms in defiance, as if _that _puny thing could hurt it. It lunged over Will, bounding forward, it's powerful legs throwing it across the clearing in seconds. Seizing the chance, Will rolled off his injured side, pushing through the pain, and dove into the woods. His cloak, ripped and bloody, still did it's job, and Alyss lost sight of her husband. He was safe, for now.

Halt released the arrow.

Will Treaty was one of the best shots in the Ranger Corps, as anyone could see from the empty quiver and the Kalkara with a face full of arrows. But Will had been taught by the best, and the best didn't miss—not when his son was in danger. It almost didn't hit the Kalkara with how fast the monster was moving. But the arrow, oddly skewed by the imperfect weight, dipped early, and stuck deep into the fur of the creature's left shoulder. The flame sputtered out.

The Kalkara went in for the kill, Halt immediately drawing another arrow, this one unlit, and stepping in front of Alyss.

The flame flared, fed by the thick, waxy fur of the Kalkara. The fur took quickly, fire eating through it in seconds, burning the monster alive. It jerked back, screaming in agony as the flame burned more and more of it.

"Oh my—" Alyss started to say, her eyes wide in shock as she watched the monster become engulfed in flames. It screamed, over and over and over again, pain and fear stripping it of any fearful detail. Halt's arm was stretched out, blocking her from the clearing in which the monster writhed in pain, but he didn't fully block her view. It fell, slamming to the ground, and then—and then the screams stopped, and the monster went utterly still.

* * *

Ranger Sasha sat crosslegged in the field separating Snowbush and Sunworth Woodlands. He had done all of what Halt had asked him to do, patrolling the border of the forest and warning travelers away from the forest. Most people were already avoiding the paths that led through it, so he settled down to wait in Snowbush, right where Halt had told him to. A light breeze kissed his cheeks, bowing the long grass and wildflowers around him. Sasha's bow sat resting on his knees, an arrow nocked and ready.

Everyone in Snowbush and other surrounding towns had heard the screaming last night. These were worse then before, and no one had been able to sleep the rest of the night when they were finally over. He was unsure if anyone else had seen it, but Sasha's keen eyes had picked out a light in the forest, flaring and dying during the time of the screams.

Halt had told him to wait in Snowbush, and to protect the townspeople. He had been sitting in the field since last night.

Sasha took a breath, eyes scanning the tree line as if he were waiting for something to come out. As his eyes came back around, he saw a slight movement further to the south. He stared at the moving shadows, studying them.

Three horses emerged from the shadows, all three silhouettes unmistakable. One wore a white shirt, now dirty, with dark pants. She wore her blond hair up, and her saber was comfortably still sheathed at her side. On either side of her sat two Rangers—one short and with the hood up, the other slightly taller, the hood down, and slightly slumped in his seat. The courier and the taller Ranger held hands, their horses slightly closer then need be.

Sasha stood from his spot, putting the arrow back into the quiver, and slinging the bow over his shoulder. He raised his hand in a wave, trying to catch their attention before they rode directly into town. The shorter Ranger paused his horse and raised his arm in acknowledgment, before leaning over to say something to his companions. They both seemed to nod, and, as a group, the three turned and began riding in Sasha's direction. The younger Ranger sighed contently, smiling. He dropped his arm, and waited for the group to make their way to him, finally feeling that heavy weight of dread fall from his shoulders.

* * *

> _Day 25, finally back in Snowbush_
> 
> _Writing this is difficult, mostly because my side, arm, and back are still healing, but I wanted to get this out before you got back, Halt. Alyss is asleep besides me (she hasn't strayed far since you found me), so I figured, now or never, you know?_
> 
> _You told me, when you were looking at my injury, that this was all your fault. That you should have made me wait, that you should have come along with me. I—I'd never seen you like that before, Halt, and it made me think about what I had written down in this journal before I abandoned my campsite. I know you've read this, considering you handed it back to me, but I hope you'll have the foresight to look back through it when I give it back to you. Because there is no way in hell that I'm keeping this thing. Too many bad memories._
> 
> _You were basically blaming all of this on yourself, even though you literally did nothing. You saved my life, if anything. You gave me this journal, you stopped me from going insane, and you, literally, stopping my bleeding out so we could make it back to town. I … I guess that goes to show what kind of memories I gave you, huh?_
> 
> _I said it once about Alyss, but now I feel like I have to say it to you, Halt. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you as my family, but I don't know what I'd do without you. Probably be dead in a ditch somewhere by now. So … so thank you, Halt. Even though I know you'll probably yell at me for this, just like Alyss yelled at me for saying I don't deserve her. I really don't know how I got both of you in my life, along with everyone else, but, god, does it really make me think._
> 
> _I think I can hear you coming back, but I can never tell with you to be honest. You're too good at this Ranger thing. So, Halt, whenever you find this, here's your reminder: I love you. Thank you for everything._
> 
> _\- Will_


End file.
